WINTER BOUGHS 



RE thickening buds alter the contour of 

 the great deciduous trees and tell of that 

 intermediate season before the breaking 

 ^ of the green ; while still Winter holds the 

 woodlands ; while giant trunks drip grimy tears and 

 naked boughs wail that wild song proper to the time, 

 those who please may study the anatomy of the 

 forest and note the manifold beauties apparent in 

 the habit of the trees. For from trunk and bole to 

 topmost twig, each king, queen, courtier of the wood 

 possesses a proper distinction. 



Among them all the oak most surely proclaims his 

 character in his bearing. Sturdy at foot, tough of 

 bark, stalwart of branch, he paints a picture of strength 

 on the background of forest and sky, a scheme of 

 sharp zigzag angles and abrupt bifurcations against 

 the sunset. No delicate droop of bough, no dreaming 

 haze of spray and misty shadow of new-born wood 

 mark his skeleton. Hard, firm, and precise to each 

 neat finial is the Naval oak. Only the horse-chestnut 

 and sycamore exhibit less detail in their shapes. 

 Quercus Robur, indeed, disdains all prettiness. His 

 significance is his charm — he means so much to an 



lO 



